Emanuel guende



(No Model.)

B. GUENDE.

SIGNALING APPARATUS FOR RAILWAY-S.

N0. 2|59,385. Patented June 13, 1882.,

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L nlli" lIIElIIlll C II- WITNESSES INVENTOR ATTORNEY UNITED STATESPATENT Urricn.

EMANUEL GUENDE, OF OAVAILLON, FRANCE.

SIGNALING APPARATUS FOR RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 259,385, dated June 13,1882,

Application filed November 15, 1880. (No model.) Patented in FranceApril 9.0, 1880, No, 136,262; in Germany September 26, 1880; in RussiaOctober 9, 1880; in England October 12, 1880, No. 4,134 in Italy October10, 1880; in Austria-Hungary December 1, 1880; in Norway April 1,1881;in Spain April 2, 1881; in Denmark April 12, 1881; in Sweden June 18,1881, and in Belgium October To all whom it may concern Be it known thatI, EMANUEL GUENDE, merchant at Oavaillon, (Vaucluse,) in the Republic ofFrance, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in SignalingApparatus for Railways, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to improved signaling apparatus forrailways, which are arranged at proper distances along the track andworked by the locomotive in such a manner that they are successively setand automatically returned into normal position after the passage of thetrain by their action upon each other.

The invention consists of a series of connected signaling apparatuswhich are successively set by the action of thelocomotive on a movableside rail supported on strong cushioning-springs close to and somewhatabove the level of the track-rail. The side rail is depressed by thelocomotive-wheels, and adapted to set by suitable motion-transmittingmechanism the signaling devices into upright position. The firstsignaling apparatus is connected with the second apparatus by a wirewhich is properly regulated and compensated by a spring and weight. Thesecond apparatus is connected with the third one in similar manner, andso on, the different apparatuses being so connected and operated thatthe setting of the third apparatus retains the signaling devices of thesecond but releases the signaling devices of the first apparatus, aswill be more fully set forth hereinafter.

In the accompanyin gdrawingaFigurel represents a side elevation of asignaling apparatus for railways, drawn on a larger scale. Figs. 2 and 3show respectively a-plan view of the apparatus and a side viewfpartly insection on line a" 02, Fig. 2, of the movable side rail by which thesignaling apparatus is set. Fig. 4 is an end view, partly in section online y 3 Fig. 2, of the signaling apparatus; and Fig. 5 is an enlargedplan view of. the signaling apparatus shown in Fig. 2.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawings, A represents a movable rail, which issupported parallel to and close to one of the track-rails on strongcushioning-springs B, which are firmly bolted to the ends of the movablerail A. The length of the rail A has to be at least equal to thegreatest distance between two wheels or set of trucks of the locomotiveor cars, so that during the passage of a train there will be always twowheels on the movable rail for properly and evenly depressing the same.The supportin g-springs B retain the movable rail A at a certaindistance above the top of the trackrail, the movable rail being. guidedalong fixed an gle-irons a, which are rigidly secured to the cross-tiesof the track, so that a side motion of the movable rail is prevented andonly a vertical up-anddown motion imparted to the same. Thesupporting-springs B are mounted on strong wooden blocks at their outerends, while their inner ends are bolted to the movable rail and hold thesame at a proper distance above the track-rail.

In the center of the movable side rail, A, is arranged a downwardlyextending arm, D,

which may be denominated the pressure-- arm. Below the pressure-arm D isarranged a lever, E, which runs parallel to the trackrail, and isconnected at one end by a hinge to a rod, E, that is guided in bearingsof the cross-ties, for the purpose of admitting the shifting of theturning-point of the lever E nearer to or farther away from thepressurearm D. The opposite end of the lever E bears upon a lever-arm,F, of a shaft, F, which latter turns in suitable bearings, beingarranged at right angles to and outside of the track-rails. W hen thelocomotive-wheels pass over the movable rail A the pressure exertedthereon is transmitted by the pressure-arm D, lever E,

and lever-arm F to the shaft F.

On the shaft F are arranged three different signaling devicesnamely, aweighted lever, I, a contact-rod, K, and a disk, L. These three devicesI, K, and L are all independently and securely attached to the shaft F,so that they are moved jointly and simultaneously therewith. Theweighted lever I carries a pawl, M,

which is attached or pivoted at one end to said lever, and provided atthe opposite end with a laterally-projecting pin which engages the teethof a ratchet-wheel, H. It also carries a radial arm, I, the uppertooth-shaped end of which engages a recess of a second spring-pawl, N,which is pivoted sidewise of the ratchet-wheel H. The ratchet-wheel Hturns loosely on the shaft F and carries back f the front ratchet-teetha sprocket-wheel, H, over which a chain, 0, is passed, that is connectedat one end with the wire R, leading to the next signaling apparatus,while at the other lower end it is provided with a counterweight, U, bywhich the wireis keptin stretched condition.

The connection of the wire R with the pawl M of the next precedingsignaling apparatus is made by a spiral spring, I, which spring,together with the weight, serves as stretching and compensating devices.The pawls M and N of the first apparatus are withdrawn by the setting ofthe second apparatus; but as the wire connecting the first with thesecond apparatus is thereby stretched taut, and, furthermore, as thewire is connected to the pawl M of the weighted lever I of firstapparatus, it will hold all the signal-arms of the latter in theindicated position. As soon as the third apparatus is set the pawls Mand N of the second apparatus are raised, and thereby the ratchet-wheelH thereof, which hitherto sus-' tained the signal-arms of the firstapparatus, will be liberated and made free to follow the motion impartedto it by the weight on lever I of the first apparatus, and thesignal-arms of the latter are placed at rest in the lowered positions bythe counter-weights U. This is repeated in the other apparatussuccessively, though, if desired, other approved mechanisms for the samepurpose may be used in place thereof.

Operation: Supposing that three signaling apparatus such as describedare placed at proper distances from each other along the -line of therailroad and connected by wires in the manner described, when not calledinto use the signaling devices of each apparatus assume the positionsshown in dotted lines in Fig. 1; but as soon as the wheels of alocomotive pass on the movable side rail of the first signalingapparatus the movable rail is depressed to the level of the track-railand retained in that position during the passage of the train over themovable rail. The pressure-arm D transmits the motion of the movablerailA to the lever E, lever-arm F, and shaft F, so that the latterreceives an axiallyturning motion. The weighted lever I, the contact-rodK, and the disk L are thereby thrown into upright position, as shown inFig. l. The pawl M carries the ratchet-wheel H along and throws the armI into the second pawl, N, relieving at the same time the tension of thewire 1t, leading to the next following apparatus. The tension of thewire is,

however, quickly restored by the counterweight U at the end of the chain0 of the second apparatus. The extent of axial motion of the shaft F islimited by means of a stop which is provided with a suitable rubbercushion, with which the lever I forms contact in its upward motion,which stop is not shown in the drawings. After the train has passedbeyond the first signaling apparatus the signaling devices of the sameare retained in upright position, so as to warn any train coming up inthe rear of the same and keep it at proper distance from the firsttrain.

In passing over the movable side rail of the second signaling apparatusthe same is depressed and the signals I K L are set in the same manneras in the first apparatus, while the wire connecting the two isstretched taut by the turning of the ratchet-wheel H of the secondapparatus. The spiral spring]? of the connecting-wire It is therebyelongated to a certain extent by the action of the sprocketwheel H, asthe spiral springP, though being made strong enough to balance thecounterweight of the conneeting-wire, is not strong enough to resist thestrain exerted by the ratchet-wheel H. The ratchet-wheel H of the secondapparatus is loekedbyits pawl N. The signaling devices of the same areheld in upright position, while the tension of the con-- neeting-wire Rholds the signaling devices of the first apparatus in upright position.The train new passes on to the third signaling a1 paratns and aetuatesthe same in the same manner as the first and second apparatus. By thetension which it produces in the wire connectin g the second and thirdapparatus it causes the lifting of the pawls M andNof the secondapparatus, and releases thereby the radial arm 1 of the same, so thatthe ratchetwheel H of the latter, which turns loosely on its shaft F,can follow the influence of the weighted lever I of the first apparatus,so that thereby the signaling devices of the first apparatns arereturned into their normal positions. If a train has to work more thanthree signaling apparatus, the fourth apparatus returns the signalingdevices of the second apparatus, the fifth those of the third, and soon, into normal position,so that each train leaves always two signalingapparatus in upright position in its rear, which, by means of its threecomponent parts-the weighted lever, the disk, and thecontact-rod-indicate danger and give warning to any following train. Thelever I and the disk L serve merely as optical signals, while thecontact-rod K is intendedto strike alever-arm of the locomotive andoperate a steam-whistle or a bell. The contact-arm K is more especiallyuseful at night or in foggy weather, also whenever, by the inattendanceof the engineer, the optical signals are overlooked. The two lastsignaling apparatus of a certain track-section are finally returned intonormal position, after the passage of the train or shortly before thearrival of the next following train, by a connecting-wire and mechwheelof the next succeeding station, the said anism Worked by an attendant.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. In a series of signal-stations, the combination ofthe setting mechanism, the signaling devices, the locking mechanism foreach apparatus, and the tension-wire, which is connected by a spring toa pawl of one station and is attached to a weighted chain of thesprocketdevices being arranged substantially as described, whereby thesetting of the third apparatus releases the signaling devices of thefirst, the setting of the signals of the fourth those of the secondapparatus, and so on.

2. The combination of the setting mechanism A B D E F and the axialturning shaft F, carrying the signaling devices I K L, with aloosely-sliding ratchet-wheel, H, pawls M N, 20 and radial arm I,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination, with the shaft F, having the signaling devices I KL,ratchet-wheel H, having a side sprocket-wheel, H, and pawls M N, with aconnecting-wire, B, said wire bein g provided with a compensatoryweight, U, at one endand with a tension-spring, P, at the distant end,substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed myname, in'presence of two witnesses, this 12th day of October, 1880.

EMANUEL GUENDE.

Witnesses:

G. GUENDE, J. CORTES.

